Walk like a pendulum

NAOMI W. is used to heavy loads. The firewood, food and water supplies that she carries often weigh nearly as much as she does. She is one of the Luo, a people who live on the western flatlands of Kenya. She is no great athlete. In fact, she is no fitter or healthier than you are. But when it comes to carrying, Naomi leaves elite American soldiers for dust.

Over the past fifteen years, researchers have been struggling to understand how the Luo women do it. There have been several false starts. The idea that the Luo might have special load-carrying genes or unusually well-developed neck muscles, for instance, was confounded when the researchers began to look further afield. They discovered that the ability to carry extraordinarily heavy weights with ease isn't confined to one small groupit shows up all across Africa, India and Asia, and even among North American ...

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